The Arkwright Riverwalk, founded on a former rail bed purchased from Penn Central Railroad, is located in Coventry, a rural central Rhode Island town that was built around textile mills. The one-mile...

The Border to Boston Trail connects the communities of West Peabody, Peabody, Danvers, Topsfield, and Boxford in northeastern Massachusetts. The long-term goal for the trail is to continue it north to...

The Cochituate Rail Trail (CRT) is a developing, multi-use trail that will run from the Village of Saxonville in Framingham to Natick Center, a distance of 4 miles. Currently, its northernmost mile in...

With spectacular maritime views and an abundance of coastal wildlife, the East Bay Bike Path offers a spectacular New England experience. Inducted into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2009, the route...

The Fred Lippitt Woonasquatucket River Greenway provides a valuable crosstown connector of nearly 7 miles from downtown Providence to the city’s western neighborhoods and the nearby town of Johnston....

The Head of the Meadow Trail offers a pleasant winding route through woodlands and marshlands tantalizingly close to the Atlantic Ocean in Truro. In fact, direct access to two of the Cape Cod National...

The Mattapoisett Rail Trail is a work in progress. As of autumn 2011, it runs for just more than 1 mile between Reservation Road at Mattapoisett Harbor and the Phoenix Bike Trail in Fairhaven, joining...

Many commuters choose the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway for freedom from congested traffic in the northwest Boston suburbs. For others, the 10.1-mile paved trail between Cambridge and Bedford serves as a...

The Old Colony Nature Pathway is a short trail open on a former Old Colony Railroad corridor in Provincetown, a picturesque vacation destination at the tip of Cape Cod. While a longer portion of the...

The Old Colony Rail Trail, named after the eponymous railroad line that operated in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, offers a serene journey through quiet Cape Cod beach towns. At 8 miles, the trail is...

The Pine Tree Brook Trail travels alongside the brook in Milton, Massachusetts. The path travels through woods and residential neighborhoods for a distance of about 1.8 miles, and it connects to the...

Quonset Point Bike Path is a fantastic two and a half mile trail. The Quonset Point Bike Path is a part of the beautiful town of North Kingstown.The Quonset Point Bike Path is paved and off road and...

The Shining Sea Bikeway follows the route of a former railroad line run by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company, which ran service to New York and Boston from 1872 to 1965. After the...

The Southwest Corridor Park (Pierre Lallement Bike Path) knits together neighborhoods in southern Boston from the Back Bay to Jamaica Plain. Popular as a route for commuters as well as casual walkers,...

The Stillwater Scenic Walkway is a short trail that follows an old railroad bed between Capron Road and State Route 104 (Farnum Pike) south of Smithfield. The trail passes through a wooded area along...

Ten Mile River Greenway, named for the waterway it parallels and not its length, runs 3 miles through a serene and green corridor connecting the City of East Providence and Pawtucket. The southern end...

The Upper Falls Greenway is a short rail-trail that cuts through the charming village of Newton Upper Falls in Newton, Massachusetts. The trail occupies the same former rail corridor as the developing...

The Washington Secondary Bike Path offers just over 19 miles of paved trail from Cranston (Providence’s southwestern neighbor) to Coventry. The rail-trail, Rhode Island’s longest, follows the former...

The World War II Veterans Memorial Trail opened in Mansfield in 2004 after several decades of advocacy by local rail-trail supporters. The trail rests on an abandoned corridor once served by the Old...

Recent Trail Reviews

Cape Cod Rail Trail

Completed it with my nine year old

I had wanted to do this trail since I was a kid. I took my family out on it and completed the entire trail in two days. I documented the entire trek. The best stops to make start in Orleans. If you want a perspective of what it is like here is a video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYPiNHN9P1g

I also extended the end and biked to the Beachcomber in Wellfleet. totally worth getting a beer at the end.

Bay Colony Rail Trail

Nice but short

Not a very long trail and not a lot of scenery, but it's connected to the Needham town forest (High Rock) on one side so if you are mountain biking then that adds more trail. If you are street biking then it's kind of a short ride.

World War II Veterans Memorial Trail

Short and sweet

The trail is pretty much a straight shot with no hills. I have ridden my bike on this trail many times and there is always a good mix of joggers, bikers, and walkers, but it is never too crowded -- I do ride my bike at a nice leisurely pace but, even so, I rarely have to stop or slow down. The trail itself is paved and in very good condition. On one side of the trail there is even a strip of finely crushed stone that you can bike on when you want to take a break from the smooth asphalt. Set down in a residential area, you are never far from civilization, but there are woods on either side of you and the atmosphere is quiet and relaxing.

Cape Cod Rail Trail

Extension is now open

The extension mentioned is now open. It's beautiful and well worth the ride. Early to mid October is a great month for the western portion because you can catch Cranberry bogs being harvested. The views from the Bass River bridge are terrific too.

William C. O'Neill Bike Path

tip

As I am not from RI, and was not familiar with the roads in that area, I initially had a hard time finding this trail. When locating trails I use a Garmin Navigation System for directions. The listed address of "Railroad Ave" at the Amtrak trailhead didn't seem to come up in my Garmin's database. If using a GPS navigation system, search on "Kingston Station", or "Amtrak Kingston" instead.

East Boston Greenway

The “Easty” Trail

This is a city trail with views of the seashore. It goes through the Bremen St. Park which is used by children and adults skating, running and walking. At one terminus is a stunning view of Boston over the harbor, with easy access to the harbor walk and Piers Park. The other end is at Constitution Beach, from which you can watch airplanes take-off and get pizza or a hot dog in the summer. There is also a stopping point overlooking the wetlands. Lots of local restaurants around: Italian, Salvadorian, and more. If you’re a cyclist don’t expect a long, fast experience. It is scenic and gives you a great sense of “Easty”

Border to Boston Trail

Great ride from Peabody.

My wife and I parked at the Lowell St end in a large lot. We rode about 5-6 miles north. This trail is great. Nice scenery. Good places to stop. Water fountains, jiffy Johnny's, bike shops along the way. In one park, there is a station with tethered tools to do repairs.

Northern Strand Community Trail

Great in Everett and Malden

So far, I've ridden this trail through Everett and Malden a couple of times. I love that section. It's very convenient when I ride from Boston to Lynnfield on my home commute.

This week, I rode from Malden through Revere and Saugus to Lynn. When you get to the Rowe's Quarry apartments, the surface becomes thick loose gravel. In some places, there are larger rocks hiding in the gravel. It's unsteady and a little hard to ride on. I could not keep up my usual commuting speed. My bike has hybrid tires, but this is a trail better suited for a mountain bike.

I might take this trail again, but this is not a trail that my wife would appreciate.

Charles River Bike Path

Best Bike ride - a must do

We parked in Newton and rode out bikes all the way to the Cambridge Galleria and had lunch. Then we rode back to Newton, was just over 27 miles round trip. Mostly along the river. The trail is broken up and we crossed the river about 3 times in Watertown to Waltham, but what an amazing ride. Some dirt sections, but our Trek hybrids did not have trouble. Be careful crossing streets, espcially in the city. Also, don't go full speed as there are a lot of people walking and enjoying the trail, so take your time and enjoy!

East Bay Bike Path

Way too much hype

We started in Providence at India Point Park. It was a beautiful blue bird day in the high 70's with little to no wind. A perfect day for a bike ride. However, after riding the entire length of the trail from Providence to Bristol and back, we feel this is another Hall of Fame Trail that is so over hyped it is almost criminal. First, there are no facilities anywhere on the trail. Be prepared to buy lunch somewhere if you need to go to the bathroom. The trail surface is paved and in excellent condition with lane markers dividing the trail. It is probably the best trail surface we've ever ridden on. It is very flat, but it is also very narrow. You will have to watch out for walkers and runners, ALL of whom ignore the trail signs and walk against the flow of bike traffic. Be prepared to do a lot of weaving in and out of traffic. When it comes to scenery, the bridge that you cross when leaving India Point Park from the Providence trail head is beautiful. Then there is one small section of trail about a half a mile long where the trees form a very pretty tunnel you ride through. As you get into Bristol, you get some views of the bay, (which are for the most part obscured by chain link fencing). However, for the most of the trails length, there is nothing to see except the small trees and scrub brush that lines both sides of the trail. There really isn't anything to see. For as much as this trail is hyped as a Hall of Fame Trail, we expected much more, and to be honest, were thoroughly disappointed, and left wishing we had just ridden one of our local trails instead.

William C. O'Neill Bike Path

Smooth ride, fun trail

I found this trail to be very easy and smooth. No bumps along the way. It’s got a few disconnects but nothing major. Hilly at times which gives you a work out. It would be awesome if it went all the way to the ocean! We parked at the train station which was crowded on a Sunday late morning.